Update = 'Devil Racer' takes a spin at NASCAR circuit

[retro]

http://www.freep.com/sports/autoraci...e_20050622.htm

'Devil Racer' takes a spin at NASCAR circuit

Roush Racing paving the way
June 22, 2005


BY MIKE BRUDENELL
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER


Two-time Australian V8 Supercar champion Marcos Ambrose is testing a NASCAR Craftsman Truck at two tracks in the Carolinas this week as part of his plans to join America's premier stock car circuit next year.


Ford Racing is helping Ambrose, who won road racing's Supercar championship Down Under in a Ford Falcon in 2003 and '04 and is leading in this year's title chase.


Ambrose, 28, tested Tuesday at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, N.C., and will be at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in Greenville, S.C., today. Both are half-mile ovals where NASCAR stars like David Pearson and brothers Terry and Bobby Labonte drove regularly in their early careers.


Ambrose is using a Ford pickup supplied by Roush Racing during the tests. Representatives from Roush's research and development group, including veteran crew chief Ben Leslie, are on site. Leslie has worked in the past with Ricky Rudd, Mark Martin and Kurt Busch.


"This is the first step in a long process, a very long march," said Ambrose, who raced against the likes of current Formula One drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Jenson Button in Europe during the late '90s. "I'll show what I can do. It's a challenge, but the sport's the same whether you're in open-wheel, V8 Supercars or NASCAR; it's man versus machine."


Ambrose was at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn last weekend for the NASCAR Nextel Cup and Craftsman Truck events. He was a guest of Ford Racing.


"I had an unbelievable time," Ambrose said. "MIS is a great track, and the whole weekend was fabulous."


Ambrose, who comes from the island state of Tasmania, is referred to Down Under as the "Devil Racer" because of his aggressive driving style and fondness for the Tasmanian devil, a ferocious marsupial found only in that region of Australia.


"Maybe I should call myself Skippy," Ambrose joked. "It might go over better in the NASCAR garage area."


Ambrose made up his mind to go racing in America in 2003, he said.


"I have a real respect for NASCAR" Ambrose said. "I've been following the series since 1999. I've won two championships in Australia, and I'm going for a third. I've achieved everything I can there."


Leslie is making sure the Australian is comfortable in the race truck.


"It's all about getting him acclimatized to the vehicle," said Leslie, who crewed for his brother, Tracy Leslie, at Mt. Clemens Speedway. "He'll get valuable seat time, and we'll get a feel for him."


Dan Davis, director of Ford Racing Technology, met Ambrose in Australia in 2003.


"He was beating up on a lot of folks in the Supercar series," said Davis, who overseas Ford's North American racing efforts. "I took notice of him right away."


Davis said Ford Racing would do whatever it could to connect Ambrose to good NASCAR teams.


"We'll make sure Marcos gets to show his talent and ability," Davis said. "We will open some doors, but Marcos will have to walk through them. I think the world of him."


Ambrose said he's prepared to relocate to North Carolina, home of NASCAR race shops. But he isn't expecting a free meal ticket. Ambrose is prepared to start in Craftsman Truck, if necessary, and work his way into the Busch Grand National series and then Nextel Cup.


"Every step of the way, I've had to prove to myself and others that I've got what it takes, from go-karts to Supercars," Ambrose said. "I don't want to be given an opportunity -- I want to create one. I can get the job done."

[hml2777]

Good luck to him, he will leave a void in SBR

Mind you the axes are out at the moment to try to cut the Tall Poppy down.

[stoned pony]

I'm a little worried that Marcs has a fondness for Tasmanian Devils!! Good luck to the man. He's done well here, let's hope he can replicate that success in the US.

[Chucky]

What is about celebrities and small furry rodents? I hope it's an innocent kind of fondness and not the wierd Richard Gere kind.

[Sandgroper]

I've been following the series since 1999. I've won two championships in Australia, and I'm going for a third. I've achieved everything I can there."

*cough* Bathurst *cough*

[xrystl]

Originally Posted by Sandgroper

I've been following the series since 1999. I've won two championships in Australia, and I'm going for a third. I've achieved everything I can there."

*cough* Bathurst *cough*

Unfortunately the Bathurst of today is just a shadow of its former self , it now being no more than a series of sprint races between safety car periods - and just being a race within a series makes it loose "the great race" atmosphere that it used to have !!

[Sandgroper]

Originally Posted by xrystl

Unfortunately the Bathurst of today is just a shadow of its former self , it now being no more than a series of sprint races between safety car periods - and just being a race within a series makes it loose "the great race" atmosphere that it used to have !!

I tend to agree somewhat. I just didnt like his comments that was all

[peckstar]

i think marcos has mentioned many times to the australian public that bathurst is a gap. but this release was intended for the USA as promotion, so he is right to exclude the bathurst point, to save confusion

[retro]

Ben Leslie began his career in his native state of Michigan working on his brother Tracy's ARCA car. As Tracy moved up to the Busch Series in 1991, Ben followed suit.

Leslie's career at Roush Racing began in September of 1994 working for Ted Musgrave's No. 16 team as a mechanic and rear tire changer. Later, he moved to Martin's No. 6 team, where he served as a mechanic and rear tire changer.

When Roush moved Martin's team to Mooresville, N.C., at the end of the 1997 season, Leslie remained in Liberty, N.C., where he teamed up with Johnny Benson's No. 26 team. He was the team's car chief, and later in 1998 served as the interim crew chief. During his tenure as crew chief, Leslie helped Benson earn two ninth-place finishes in only 10 starts.

In 1999 Leslie joined Matt Kenseth's No. 17 team as car chief. He continued as Kenseth's car chief until his promotion to crew chief of the No. 97 team with driver Kurt Busch. He helped the rookie Busch to three top-five finishes and five top-10 finishes. Leslie also helped Busch capture the pole at Darlington in September of 2001.

[racer69]

Originally Posted by xrystl

Unfortunately the Bathurst of today is just a shadow of its former self , it now being no more than a series of sprint races between safety car periods - and just being a race within a series makes it loose "the great race" atmosphere that it used to have !!

AVESCO stated this was their intention back in 2001, they wanted the championship to be important, not a single race.

But having said that the last 'real' Bathurst was on October 4 1998


Back on topic, Good on Ambrose, i'd have been worried of he wasn't in a car by know, infact i'm still abit worried that he doesn't have a deal sorted already for next year, not publicly stated anyway.

[Hapul]

Originally Posted by xrystl

Unfortunately the Bathurst of today is just a shadow of its former self , it now being no more than a series of sprint races between safety car periods - and just being a race within a series makes it loose "the great race" atmosphere that it used to have !!

only a cynic would think that

[Hapul]

Originally Posted by hml2777

Good luck to him, he will leave a void in SBR

On 'Blue Diaries" the general feeling from the team, especially ross, was that they wouldn't miss him much at all...

[xrystl]

Originally Posted by racer69

AVESCO stated this was their intention back in 2001, they wanted the championship to be important, not a single race.

But having said that the last 'real' Bathurst was on October 4 1998

Sorry not sure of the significance of the 98 race - I have been watching the Bathurst races since they started back in the sixties (last 40 years) and I find that the first 20 races were a lot more interesting than the last 20 (I can even remember the first 20 winners!!) .
I don't think that the lack of a Bathurst win will have any effect on Ambrose's US adventure - I think that half the field of the "good ole boys" have no idea where Australia is , let alone the type of racing that we do over here.
I think that Avesco has shot itself in the foot by incorporating Bathurst into the championship .

[peckstar]

the 98 race was the 2 liter race, when half the front runners were destroyed, when one of them hit a suspension component and took out a number of other front runners. At the start of the race there were 9 cars capable of victory and only two were left at the end (but the two did put on a good show

[racer69]

The 1998 race was the last 1000km race run on the labour day long weekend (as had been done since 1963), last race involvong the ARDC (who had run it from 1963-1997, hired help in 1998), last Bathurst telecasted by ATN-Channel 7 (as they had done since 1963), last race in the true spirit of Bathurst etc etc......

Having said that i look forward to the 9th running of the Australian/Primus/FAI/V8Supercar/Bob Jane T-Marts/Supercheap Auto 1000 this Novem, i mean second weekend of October

[Average Punter]

Originally Posted by xrystl

Unfortunately the Bathurst of today is just a shadow of its former self , it now being no more than a series of sprint races between safety car periods - and just being a race within a series makes it loose "the great race" atmosphere that it used to have !!

I agree completely xrystl. And I think that for 364 days a year.

Until 9:59am on that Sunday morning in October when I'm standing on the Hill above Murrays, the revs rise and the hair on back of the neck stands up...



My only concern with Marcos leaving was also noted by Russell Ingall on the last Superstars. He said something like this is the year he really wants to win because all the good guys are still here.

Next years victor may feel just a little hollow...

[racer69]

True enough, but there's no doubting Glen Seton was a deserving winner of the 1997 ATCC, despite the fact Lowdnes had departed overseas.

[Robert Ryan]

racer69 All I can say change is good for the Sport. Not a great fan of the ARDC in its heyday. The 1998 race was not in the true spirit of Bathurst...you would have to go back to 1992, "Before the split" to see the Old Race.
Anyway this is way off topic Does anyone know how Marcus did at the short track oval tests

[peckstar]

Originally Posted by racer69

The 1998 race was the last 1000km race run on the labour day long weekend (as had been done since 1963), last race involvong the ARDC (who had run it from 1963-1997, hired help in 1998), last Bathurst telecasted by ATN-Channel 7 (as they had done since 1963), last race in the true spirit of Bathurst etc etc......

i think you meant thge last race run by ch 7 who had no intetest in motorsport except for what they could make out of bathurst

the last race run by the ARDC who stupidly sacrificed themselves to ch 7.

and im not sure what you mean about true spirit. because i went to races before and afterwards and the race is just as good now as it was then

as for labour day, who cares, it never was labour day for me and it never will be

plus they didnt't run a 1000 km race in 1963, so really half of what you are talking about is garbage

[retro]

Originally Posted by Robert Ryan

Anyway this is way off topic Does anyone know how Marcus did at the short track oval tests

I am trying to get info from a USA friend but any info is very hard to come by.

[Grimace]

Originally Posted by Hapul

On 'Blue Diaries" the general feeling from the team, especially ross, was that they wouldn't miss him much at all...

Jimmy Stone in blue diarys cetainly gave that impression for sure !!

[retro]

This weekends race is at Infineon Raceway which is a circuit....I would guess Ambrose would be there for a look.

Infineon Raceway
Infineon Raceway is one of the premier road racing venues in the country, and one of the few on the Nextel Cup Series circuit. The facility first opened in 1968 and serves as the gateway to the beautiful and scenic Sonoma Valley, which serves as one of the top wine-producing regions in the world.

[Robert Ryan]

retro thanks for that. Being through Sonoma I would not call it all that "Beautiful and scenic" as we have a lot more scenic places in Australia, than I encountered in the US.

[racer69]

Originally Posted by peckstar

i think you meant thge last race run by ch 7 who had no intetest in motorsport except for what they could make out of bathurst

the last race run by the ARDC who stupidly sacrificed themselves to ch 7.

and im not sure what you mean about true spirit. because i went to races before and afterwards and the race is just as good now as it was then

as for labour day, who cares, it never was labour day for me and it never will be

plus they didnt't run a 1000 km race in 1963, so really half of what you are talking about is garbage

Who the telecaster was and what commitment they had to motor racing (people forget what Channel 7 did for motorsport in the 70s and 80s, and just concentrate on what happened in the mid-90s)and what the organising body did has no bearing on what the race is or isn't.

The mentioning of the Labour Day date was that it was on the same weekend every year, and it is generally accepted that the 500 mile races between 1963-1972 do form part of the 'Great Race' history.

I give an alternate situation.

CART (now OWRS) for many years have run a race at the Milwauke Mile the first week after Indianapolis. It became tradition that the next race after Indy was the Milwauke Mile. That still continues today, and all previous races are still referred to in connection with this event.

Last year the IRL Indycar Series ran a race (and will do this year) at Milwauke, in the last weekend of July over the exact same distance that CART/OWRS run their races at the track (225 miles in the last few years). This race last year featured a similiar line-up as to the drivers and teams we had seen in the CART series for many years before. Does this mean that the IRL race could tap into the history of the race held on the first weekend after Indianapolis, because they were still Indy-type races, still had the same teams and drivers........of course not.

Now apply that situation to the Bathurst scenario................

Of course this is very old stuff and very off-topic, but how often around here does a thread ever stay on topic

[Razor]

I think Ambrose leaving for the US has it's pros and cons.
Pro: He is going to chase his dream.
Con: The V8's are going to miss the modern Ford hero, legend and champion.
Pro: Holden drivers are going to sigh in relief
Con: Ford Australia is going to shake and live in fear that Holden will get the championship title again.